Restraining order blocks cuts in pay of regional superintendents

Thursday

Sangamon County Circuit Judge John Schmidt has barred Gov. Pat Quinn from slashing the pay of the state’s regional school superintendents by 9.2 percent.

Sangamon County Circuit Judge John Schmidt has barred Gov. Pat Quinn from slashing the pay of the state’s regional school superintendents by 9.2 percent.

Two regional superintendents and two assistant regional superintendents filed suit on April 13 asking the court to stop Quinn from holding back a portion of their salaries and to reinstate raises they were supposed to receive in the current fiscal year.

Schmidt issued a temporary restraining order blocking the move late Tuesday.

A call to the governor’s budget office was not returned.

Under the emergency budget act approved by lawmakers last year, Quinn has authority to withhold appropriations in a contingency fund. In August, Quinn asked then-Comptroller Dan Hynes to hold back $837,200 of the $9.1 million appropriated for the salaries of regional superintendents and assistant regional superintendents.

State School Superintendent Christopher Koch wrote the regional superintendents in March to tell them their salaries would be reduced by 9.2 percent, either by spreading the reduction out among pay periods in April, May and June or withholding the June paycheck.

In an e-mail provided to the court by the plaintiffs, Koch wrote, “I believe it is unfortunate and unfair that you will be compensated less in FY11 than you were in FY10.”

Quinn proposed eliminating state money for the offices of regional education in his fiscal year 2012 budget.

The lawsuit says the emergency budget act, as it pertains to the superintendents, is unconstitutional for several reasons, including that, because the 47 regional superintendents are elected officials, the Illinois Constitution prohibits their pay from being increased or cut during their terms of office.